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ALTOONA, Pa. — After the Beatles’ breakup in 1969, the former band mates would enjoy variously successful solo careers, collectively scoring 20 No. 1 hits in the United States and the United Kingdom between 1970 and 2002. But in March 1964 — long before the Plastic Ono Band, Wings, the Traveling Wilburys, and Ringo Starr’s […]

Penn State Laureate Kenneth Womack’s essay series, “50 Years of Beatles,” continues with a look at “Ringo-isms” and malaprops On March 2, 1964, the Beatles began principal photography for their first feature film, which would eventually be known as “A Hard Day’s Night,” under the direction of Richard Lester. As it happens, the movie had originally been […]

Penn State Laureate Kenneth Womack’s essay series, “50 Years of Beatles,” continues with a look at some of the less glamourous moments of the Fab Four’s first visit to America. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ triumphant arrival on American shores, it might surprise some readers to learn that the band mates’ […]

Penn State Laureate Kenneth Womack’s essay series, “50 Years of Beatles,” continues with a look at Penn State Altoona’s upcoming International Beatles Celebration. On Feb. 7, 1964, the Beatles arrived to unprecedented fanfare at New York City’s newly renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport. With “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Meet the Beatles!” […]

In January 1964, only a few scant weeks before the Beatles took America by storm, the band mates settled in for an extended stay in Paris. For the group, the Parisian visit proved to be a magical experience, with the Beatles playing 18 shows at the Olympia Theatre between Jan. 16 and Feb. 4. On […]